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Yasukuni festival

23 Comments

People walk in front of paper lanterns during the Mitama Festival at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Saturday night. Over 30,000 lanterns light up the precincts of the shrine, where more than 2.4 million war dead are enshrined, during the four-day festival which ends Tuesday.

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23 Comments
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Yes, to repeat myself, why can Europeans have their White History and nobody, even the Chinese, complain about it. Only when some stupid Japanese politicians whitewash Japanese history do people complain. I do not whitewash Japanese history. Japanese did great evil in Asia in addition to the True Believers who wanted Imperialists out because Japan was next. I say both Japanese Imperialism and European Imperialism are great evils, and equal evils.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

So my original question: why is only Japan blamed for everything but Europeans get to have their version of White History (minus the bloodbath) accepted, even by the Chinese?

Because, mr. Hashimoto, Japan keeps making excuses like these... "Others did it too, so it is justifiable", while they keep denying their own history and visiting the Yasukuni shrine honoring the war criminals. So is Japan really being unfairly treated, or is the rest of the world not as stupid as some in Japan think?

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

No, Japan thought that to become as powerful as the Western powers, it had to become an Imperialist nation itself. You can't say that Japan wanted to keep the Imperialists out when it was also one of the Imperialist nations. It is often said that the Japanese Imperialists were at times even worse than the Western ones.

Yes, that is what I'm saying. Japan became a copy of the Imperialist European nations and did evil things in Asia just like the Europeans did. So my original question: why is only Japan blamed for everything but Europeans get to have their version of White History (minus the bloodbath) accepted, even by the Chinese? But in the end, Europeans were driven from Asia, which was Japan's main aim anyway. Even after the end of WW2, France ran back to Viet Nam to reclaim it. But Ho Chi Mhin learned from the Japanese: White can be defeated (see Russo-Japanese war). We know what happened there. And India too. England wanted to continue the Raj.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The only reason foreigners (Europeans) don't like Yasukuni is that the museum shows them in a bad light. It does not show White History, that is, the Europeans were so kind that they went around the world to spread civilization to countries without civilization, like China and India.

LOL, so suddenly, it's the fault of foreigners (Europeans)? What about the majority of non-Europeans who complain about the Yasukuni shrine, including South East Asians? "The only reason"? Seriously? You mean the most convenient reason?

Ahhh yes, it must be the fault of the foreigners... because Japan can't possibly do any wrong... never...

Of course, Japan decided the only way to keep from becoming China was to get Imperialists out of Asia.

No, Japan thought that to become as powerful as the Western powers, it had to become an Imperialist nation itself. You can't say that Japan wanted to keep the Imperialists out when it was also one of the Imperialist nations. It is often said that the Japanese Imperialists were at times even worse than the Western ones.

They weren't sent to Taiwan or SE Asia, so they cooperated and still like Japan a lot.

What? The Japanese Imperialists have committed many atrocities in SE Asia and Taiwan, and actually they have ruled Taiwan for longer than Korea. They "like" Japan because they have forgiven, but not forgotten, and not because Japan hasn't done anything wrong to them. You need to learn actual history, and not just the Japan's version of whitewashed history.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

The only reason foreigners (Europeans) don't like Yasukuni is that the museum shows them in a bad light. It does not show White History, that is, the Europeans were so kind that they went around the world to spread civilization to countries without civilization, like China and India. It shows the bloodbath that Europe created around the world. And Japan was next. Of course, Japan decided the only way to keep from becoming China was to get Imperialists out of Asia. There were True Believers who really believed this, mostly young (like field marshals) who were brought up under the Meiji education system. The Japanese government revealed in 1995 (50th anniversary of end of war) that the government went through all Japanese prisons and gave prisoners choice of dying in prison or dying in battle ("think of your mother"), so the government took the worst elements of Japanese society, put them in uniform and gave them guns, and sent them to Asia where they did atrocity to all the Asians. They weren't sent to Taiwan or SE Asia, so they cooperated and still like Japan a lot. Well lots of Chinese and Koreans cooperated with Japanese, but of course that has to be kept secret.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Get over it. It is part of history and not going away. Let the ones that died rest in peace. You millennials just don't really get it do you?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

A Moving tribute to a special place that continues the memory of lost ancestors and family and those who did their duty. My greatest respect to them all. History is past, and over. It will not come back to us nor will people lost to untimely passage. Let us be respectful and kind and compassionate for them as we would wish them to be for us and our own cultures whatever they are. thank you for a lovely picture and for reminding us of a special time.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Very nice composition and framing by the photographer. Well done!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Yasukuni is a right-wing propaganda site... The museum in the Yaskuni shrine shows that Japan was not the aggressor but it was the liberator of Asia from Western imperialists. It never admits any wrongdoings committed by Imperial Japan. The Yasukuni shrine is shamelessly right-wing and unapologetic about the war. It's not just a harmless "religious site".

0 ( +5 / -5 )

smithinjapan Jul. 14, 2013 - 06:51PM JST

A stunning picture

what a fantastic display of Japanese artistic quality and craftsmanship!

it is clearly shows that the Japanese people love and honor the war criminals with all their heart and soul.

better than arlington national cemetery.

it really inspires me to become a war criminal.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

I know that, according to Japanese, after the death people souls are purified. So, they respect all the dead, despite their actions when they were in life. This doesn't mean they respect what people did when they were alive, but only their purified souls. For this reason, to Japanese Yasukuni shrine shouldn't be seen like a place where people celebrate war criminals, except for the ritght-wing people who visit that place with that exact aim, but only like one of the many shrines where people pay their respect to all the souls. It's a cultural problem.

I doubt some people know this, but every year Neo-Fascists in Italy celebrate the Anniversary of March on Rome at Predappio. This is an article in English:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/25/neo-fascists-from-italy_n_2017810.html

Here you can see a video, it's disgusting:

http://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/notizie/2012-10-28/fascisti-predappio-cinquemila-tomba-163523.shtml?video&uuid=Ab9O5hxG&mccorr=Ab2IYgxG

This means really celebrate a war criminal. Fascism is illegal in Italy, but they can do this, and I don't know why. Anyway, basically nobody still hate Italy for her fascist past or for these Neo-Fascists. Greeks and Polish love us, while most of them still hate the Germans. When there's a football match between Italy and Germany, tons of Greeks and Polish support Italy. Only try to look at some videos on Youtube. Greeks call us "brothers", while they still call the Germans "Nazis".

0 ( +3 / -3 )

I with the Emperor on this one, until the Emperor thinks it ok to go than I wont go anywhere near that place!

Beauty is only skin deep & yasukuni has an extremely thin veneer, don't be fooled!

1 ( +3 / -2 )

A stunning picture. 'Tis a shame the shrine is forever associated with war criminals and the owners refuse to remove their names. Until then, the place will continue to be a place filled with shame and that mars the names of the other 2.4 million enshrined by the insult of said war criminals presence.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Most important thing: No emperor (Hirohito or Akihito) visited the Shrine since the class A criminals were enshrined there. And it is their shrine! And many of the soldiers there fought for Hirohito, but he wouldn't go there!. McArthur was going to make it into a dog racing track (it's true"), but the emassary from the Pope said all countries have the right to honor their war dead, so the shrine stayed. Also, I think that there are remains of Korean soldiers who fought for Japan there, but they have never been claimed. As far as I know, those are the only actual remains there.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

but we cannot merely ignore what yasukuni really stands for and signifies in regards to imperialistic japan

its just sad that this place is tainted

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

The enshrined war-criminals are always taken as the main point for criticism against the Yasukuni. The war criminals are nothing but names, same as you can read about in countless books. They are not highlighted with 7 meter high statues. As far as I know these war criminals faced their punishment and was killed. Now their names are among countless others in the shrine. That amassment of spirits, not names, is and should be the main focus. The religious ideas (kami) and traditions behind Yasukuni goes back far in Japanese history. Why not just let it be and let the Japanese people keep their traditions in peace. This festival seems to give a lot of people beauty, happiness and a little peace of mind. I have not heard of one single person leaving there with aggressive war mongering shouts. Instead it seems to highlight mourning dead family ancesters. Nothing wrong with that.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Kuribo@ I definitely agree!!!

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Yasukuni hope it stands forever. From some of the comments there are some posterior hurt people who do not understand truly what this shrine means. They can not see the forest through the trees. Awesome shrine and if you do not like it too bad for those who can not do anything about it.

-1 ( +11 / -11 )

"Most people think Yasukuni is just another shrine whatever. What is there is list of passed soldiers names, no tombs, bones, absolutely nothing there."

@kwatt: Technically, you are correct. But most everyone understands what the symbolism of Yasukuni represents.

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

Most people think Yasukuni is just another shrine whatever. What is there is list of passed soldiers names, no tombs, bones, absolutely nothing there.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

politics aside, it really is a beautiful sight in person

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Yes. Let's forget/ignore the 2.4 million others in there, many of whom probably did not want to go off and die for their country.

3 ( +12 / -9 )

Yasukuni would be a nicer place to visit,...if 14 war criminals had not been enshrined there in the first place!

-6 ( +14 / -20 )

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